Double Glazing On The Web

Are A-rated double glazed windows really the way to go, or are double glazing retailers simply taking advantage of our childhood conditioning? Surely A is always better than C because it comes earlier in the alphabet…?

Funny, but when you stop and think about it, choosing double glazing isn’t an exam. Mine is not necessary better than yours because it ‘scores’ higher. Well perhaps on paper it means something and if the letter A is very important to you, then A-rated windows are most certainly out there to buy.

Personally however, there is more to my purchasing decision than the boxes a product ticks on an industry checklist – I have to weigh that against the other crucial list in my life: my bank balance.

Browsing through statistics I came across an interesting set of figures. Money saved through installing new energy efficient, A-rated double glazed windows, on your average 3-bed semi, over 20years is roughly – wait for it… £8,300.00 Wow – impressive! BUT the savings on the same property, over the same 20 years, with C-rated double glazed windows is £7,700.00.

If I’ve got this right, and believe me I’m no mathematician, that’s a saving difference, over a 20 year period, of just £30 a year, approximately £600 in total. Given that I’m unlikely to be staying in my property for the full 20 years, probably more like five, if the cost to upgrade from A to C is more than £150 total, than I’m afraid my bank balance wins out and I’d go for C over A any day!

What does your HIP say about you?  Are you really as energy efficient as you think….or more importantly need to be to get a buyer?  The UK housing market has been hit so hard in this current economic crisis, with house prices at an all-time low; you can’t help but ask yourself whether you bought at the right time?  Or more importantly, when is the best time for me to SELL!

Regardless of which wrung of the ladder you are on….if you are on it, you want to stay on it.  However during a credit-crunch, how can we make low cost home improvements that add value to our property for its approaching sale? 

Research shows that simple changes such as a new double glazed front door, a modest and simple conservatory or a fresh new bathroom window can increase the value of your property, by more than the amount that it cost to install these improvements.   Surprisingly, the simpler things are actually higher up on people’s wish lists when buying a new home. 

If you are considering low cost home improvements, be sure to research well and select reputable suppliers and skilled professionals to ensure you are investing wisely in real opportunities that your property has to offer.  Improved energy efficiency is the absolute key, so go on….unlock that potential!

Fact: Double glazing increases the energy efficiency of your home, therefore reducing climate change and your energy bills.

Problem: The government recognise this fact and in a desperate attempt to reach their target for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from home heating by 29 per cent, there are rumours circulating that homes without double glazing could end up falling into higher council tax bands as a green penalty.

This appears to be countermanded by similar rumours concerning a detailed tax on properties, which takes into account views, conservatories and … you guessed it Double Glazing!

Does the term ‘dammed if you do, dammed if you don’t’ spring to mind?

The government are backing a new competition launched this month designed to promote energy efficiency within Britain’s communities.  

British Gas who are currently spear heading the environmental message, will donate £2 million to be distributed amongst community groups best able to make use of measures such as double glazing and insulation.

The scheme is designed to help generate energy-saving ideas for public buildings throughout the UK.

Yet more proof that simple measures like double glazing, really can make a difference in reducing the nations carbon emissions not to mention our heating bills!

83.5 % of people looking to rent in the UK look for double glazing. In a survey commissioned by the government-funded Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes, location was a tenant’s No.1 priority, however five out of the remaining eight top reasons for choosing a property are all energy-related:

98.5% look for central heating

83.5% take whether a property is double glazed into consideration

72.5% look for gas, electricity or oil economy

68.6% for insulation and 68.3% for general warmth.

It appears that energy efficient homes are becoming a priority for homeowners, landlords and tenants alike. This is no doubt driven by the financial impact of running an energy efficient home, but it is also great news for the environment.

MP Claims for double glazing. This is not only old news by today’s standards, but it’s also rather dull. The news that MP’s have been claiming hand over fist for all sorts of weird and wonderful things that are not strictly in the tax payers interest or in line with them actually doing their jobs, has been done to death by the media over the past weeks.

Shock horror – MP’s are corrupt, who would have thought it? Surely this is a new phenomenon because they have developed such gleaming credentials for integrity and morality over the centuries, something terrible must have happened to throw them all off course … yarda, yarda, yarda. 

Double glazing on the other hand, sadly for those of us not above the law, is a necessary cost for every savvy homeowner. The reduction of noise levels, heat loss and environmental damage alone, make it the only sensible option for glazing your home, be it replacing old windows or installing glazing into an extension or conservatory, it is the only way to go.

On a more positive note, even though we have to pay for it ourselves, using Double Glazing On The Web means that double glazing our homes will cost an awful lot less than the average MP’s expenses!

Landlords now have to provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) or face a repeatable fine of £200 .

If you have a property you are thinking of upgrading ready to let, make sure all improvements, for example new doors, windows, conservatories etc… are energy efficient and installed by a FENSA registered installer.

A national campaign backed by Grand Designs Magazine, The Energy Saving Trust, The UK Green Building Council and The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), has been launched by TV property expert Kevin McCloud.
The campaign aims to encourage Britons to make their properties more energy efficient by promoting the benefits of measures such as fitting double glazing or loft insulation.

Campaigners hope to call on the public to petition the government to do more to help finance green refurbishments. TV presenter Mr McCloud insists that much more needs to be done to reduce carbon emissions from the residential sector if the target of 80% is ever to be achieved.

To find out more click here 

 Joergen Jensen, regular columnist for Director of Finance Online, has spoken out about the government’s latest vehicle scrappage scheme by saying:

 “The money should rather be used to encourage people to insulate their houses better and replace single glazing windows with double glazing windows. That doesn’t destroy value, but creates lasting value and at the same time reduces the CO2 emission and cuts future heating bills.”

Personally I don’t think the industry could have a better endorsement. Proof that as a product, double glazing is environmentally friendly and an economically viable investment.

Green building is no longer solely the concern of hippies and eccentrics. Modern design that focuses on functionality as well as increasing efficiency and reducing the impact on the environment is becoming more and more popular.

In an area of outstanding natural beauty such as the South Coast, is it fitting that construction firms, local authorities and private individuals are all taking environmental breakthroughs in building seriously and integrating them into new builds.

Eleven eco-friendly homes have recently been constructed at Poundbury and a similar green scheme is planned of Weymouth.  These new homes will include wood pellet boilers and stoves, heat recovery ventilation systems and rainwater harvesting, with a combined heat and power system capable of providing electricity.

However, Green technologies are not always so cutting edge; energy efficient glazing has been with us for years and can reduce condensation by 80%, cut wasted home energy by up to 20%  and ease the carbon footprint.

To learn more about energy efficient windows click here